Scaffold planking clamp

ABSTRACT

A device for anchoring the planking of a scaffold structure so that it will not creep or shift during use to a position which would create a dangerous hazard, clamping means being provided on the underside of the planking for engaging planking supporting members of the scaffold structure, and screw-actuated hook members arranged to extend over the marginal edges of the planking.

United States Patent 1191 Kensrue Dec. 17, 1974 [5 SCAFFOLD PLANKINGCLAMP 2,130,546 9/193s Hovey ..l 403/384 2,506,640 5 1950 H 182 7 [76]Invent: 2265 Grand 3,228,639 1l1966 248 /7:

Santa Ana, Cal1f. 92705 7 22 Filed; July 2 1973 PrimaryExaminer-Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Whann & McManigal[21] Appl. No.: 375,528

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 182/222, 182/179, 403/400 A device foranchoring the planking of a scaffold [51] Int. Cl. E04g 5/08 structureso that it will not creep or shift during use to [58] Field of Search182/222, 223, 179, 178, a position which would create a dangeroushazard, 182/119; 248/229, 226, 74 R, 72, 228; clamping means beingprovided on the underside of 403/400, 386, 384, 398 the planking forengaging planking supporting members of the scaffold structure, andscrew-actuated [56] References Cited hook members arranged to extendover the marginal UNITED STATES PATENTS edges of the Planking- |,48l,734H1924 Paxson 248/228 4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Pmmm mw I 3.554.552

SHEET 10$ 2 SCAFFOLD PLANKING CLAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONcross-members at the required working level. During l use, movement ofthe workmen in walking on the planking can cause it to creep and shiftto such an extent as to create a dangerous hazard to safety. In somecases, efforts have been made to solve the problem by toe-nailing theadjacent planks, but such means is not entirely successful and at mostconstitutes only a makeshift solution.

There is therefore an urgent need for an effective clamping or othermeans which can be easily and effectively applied for securely anchoringthe planking to the cross-members of the scaffold and yet which may bequickly and easily detached for use again in changing the planking fromone working level to another.

The present invention solves the problem by providing separate clampingdevices for the ends of each plank, in which a clamping bar on the underside of the plank is arranged to engage the scaffold cross-member andunder surface of the planking; screw and nut means being manuallyoperable to actuate plank edgeengaging hook members carried by the nutso as to force them to clampingly coact with the clamping bar andsecurely anchor the plank to the cross-member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned primarilywith scaffold structures, and is more particularly concerned with uniquemeans for anchoring or securing scaffold planking against creeping orshifting during use.

It is one object of the herein described invention to provide uniquemeans of simple, inexpensive construction for effectively andefficiently anchoring scaffold planking against creeping or shifting.

A further object is to provide a novel clamping device for securing theends of scaffold planking to a supporting cross-member of the scaffoldstructure.

Another object is to provide a novel clamping device for scaffoldplanking in which a screw and nut actuator is manually operable toforceably engage a clamping bar with a scafi'old planking support memberon the under side of the planking, and hook members with the plankingupper surface edge margins, whereby to hold the planking againstcreeping and shifting.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out inthe following part of the specification, wherein detailed description isfor the purpose of fully disclosing a preferred embodiment of theinvention without placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the accompanyingdrawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a scaffold structure inwhich the planking is secured by clamping devices embodying the featuresof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially online 22 of FIG. 1 and showing details of the clamping device;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line'33 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the same;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the clamping device asused for overlapping scaffold 0 planks;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view illustrating the manner of using a modifiedstructure for the hook members; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing details of the modifiedhook members.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more specifically to thedrawings, for illustrative purposes, the invention is shown as beingapplied to the planking 10 of a scaffold structure 11 constructed ofpiping and including cross-members 12 which form supports for theplanking at each working level. The planking usually comprisesindividual planks 13 which are laid in edge-to-edge formation on the supporting cross-members to provide a walkway for workmen at a workinglevel on the scaffold.

In order to anchor the planking and prevent its shifting or creepingduring use, which could cause a dangerous hazard, clamping devices 43according to the present invention are provided for securing theindividual planks to the cross-member 12. These clamping devices arepositioned on the under side of the planking so as not to interfere withthe activities of the workmen during their movements along the uppersurface of the planking.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the clamping devices 43comprises a clamping bar 14 constructed of a suitable strap iron toprovide a straight intermediate portion 15 which connects at one endwith a V-shaped portion 16 and at its other end with an angularlydeflected portion 17. The clamping bar as thus confor'med has itsopposite end portions so proportioned that the V-portion 16 will form aseat for the crossmember 12 when the straight portion is insubstantially parallel relation to the under surface of the planking 13which is laid on the cross-member 12. In this position of the clampingbar, the deflected end portion 17 should engage the under surface of theassociated planking.

An elongate screw member 18 is rotatably supported at one end in asuitable bearing 19 in the straight portion 15 of the clamping bar sothat the screw member 18 depends therefrom with its elongate axissubstantially in right-angled relation to the portion 15. The oppositeend of the screw member is fitted with a knob 20 by means of which thescrew member may be manually rotated.

The screw member carries a nut 21 having threaded engagement with thescrew, and which will be axially moved along the screw towards and awayfrom the clamping bar 14 during rotation of the screw.

The nut 21 is connected on opposite sides of the screw with a pair ofhook members 22 and 23 which are respectively formed with outer endportions 24 and 25 adapted to extend in substantially parallel relationalong the opposite edges of the associated scafiold plank. The portions24 and 25 are respectively deflected towards each other to providehook-like end portions 26 and 27 which extend over and engage themarginal upper edge surface portions of the plank.

As shown in FIG. 3, the hook member 22 at its inner end is shown asbeing fixedly secured to the nut 21 by welding or other suitable meansas indicated by the numeral 28. The other hook member 23 is shown ashaving its inner end swingably connected to the nut 21 by means of apivot 29. By providing a swingable mounting for one of the hook members,the attachment of the hooks at the opposite sides of a plank iffacilitated. It is to be understood, however, that it is within theconcept of the present invention to swingably mount both of the hookmembers for swinging movement on the nut.

As shown in FIG. 1, in order to obviate interference of the hook membersof adjacent planking, the clamping devices may be alternately reversedso that the hook members of adjacently disposed devices will extend onopposite sides of the cross-member 12. With the construction describedabove, the screw 18 and nut 21 constitute an actuator which may bemanually operable to coactively activate the clamping bar 14 and thehook members 22 and 23 into clamped and unclamped positions with respectto the associated plank 13. In the clamped position, the actuator causesthe end portions 26 and 27 to forceably engage the outer surfaceedgemargins of the associated plank and forceably press the plankagainst the adjacent supporting cross-member l2 so as to anchor theplank against creeping or shifting movements.

The clamping device as described above is not limited to the clamping ofa single planking member, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, but can also beused for clamping two planks in superposed relation, as shown in FIG. 5.Such a condition may result, for example, where the adjacent ends of theplanking are in overlapped relation, as shown in FIG. 5, wherein a topplank 13 has an end overlapping an underneath plank 13.

A modified structure for the hook members 22 and 23 is shown in FIGS. 6and 7, which eliminates the necessity for mounting the adjacent clampingdevices in staggered relation, as shown in F IG. 1.

In the modified structure, one of the hook members, in this case thehook member 22, has its outer end portion formed as an extension, asgenerally indicated at 30, from a plate material to provide a pair offingers 31 and 32 which are separated by a space 33. The fingers I 31and 32 are coplanar so as to extend along the associated plank edge, andrespectively have inwardly turned ends 34 and 35 for engaging over themarginal upper edge surface portion of the plank in a m'anner similar tothe previously described end portion 26.

The hook member 23 is provided similarly with an extension 36, exceptthat in this case a single finger 37 is formed for extending along theopposite edge of the plank, this finger having an inwardly turned end 38for engaging over the opposite marginal upper edge surface portion ofthe plank.

As a feature of the modified structure, as described above, theconfiguration of the finger 37 is conformed to the shape of the space33, so that when a pair of clamping devices are mounted on adjacentplanks of the planking, the finger 37 of one device will be positionedin the space 33 of the other device, thus permitting the fingers toassume a coplanar arrangement between the adjacent edges of theassociated planks, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it will be clearly evidentthat the delineated objects and features of the invention will beaccomplished.

Various modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of my invention, and, hence, I do notwish to be restricted to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned,except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A device for anchoring a scaffold planking to a scaffold supportingstructure, comprising:

a. means positioned on the underside of the planking for grippinglyengaging a cross-member of the structure, said means comprising aclamping bar engageable with the cross-member and an under surface ofthe planking;

b. force applying means connected with said first means having a portionadapted to extend over and engage the upper surface of the planking,said force applying means comprising a pair of elongate hook membersconnected with a nut, one of the hook members having a fixed connectionwith the nut and the other a hinged connection, each hook member havinga deflected outer end portion adapted to overlie the upper surface ofthe planking; and

. actuating means operable to move said force applying means so thatsaid portion is clampingly forced against the upper surface of theplanking, said actuating means comprising a manually operable screwmember rotatably carried by said clamping bar and having threadedengagement with said nut.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the hook members are inconfronting opposed relation and adapted to engage the opposite edgemargins of a single plank of the planking.

3. A device for anchoring scaffold planking to a scaffold supportingstructure, comprising:

a. means positioned on the underside of the planking for grippinglyengaging a cross-member of the structure, said means comprising aclamping bar engageable with the cross-member and an under surface ofthe planking;

b. force applying means connected with said first means having a portionadapted to extend over and engage the upper surface of the planking,said force applying means comprising a pair of hook members connectedwith a nut, each of said hook members having an end extension portionformed of plate material, one of said extensions comprising a pair ofspaced apart fingers having coplanar relation and the other extensioncomprising a single finger; and

actuating means operable to move, said force applying means so that saidportion is clampingly forced against the upper surface of the planking,said actuating means comprising a manually operable screw memberrotatably carried by said clamping bar and having threaded engagementwith said nut.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the configuration of thesingle finger is such as to enable it to fit in the space between thepair of fingers of an adjacently associated device and in coplanarrelation with said pair of fingers thereof.

1. A device for anchoring a scaffold planking to a scaffold supportingstructure, comprising: a. means positioned on the underside of theplanking for grippingly engaging a cross-member of the structure, saidmeans comprising a clamping bar engageable with the cross-member and anunder surface of the planking; b. force applying means connected withsaid first means having a portion adapted to extend over and engage theupper surface of the planking, said force applying means comprising apair of elongate hook members connected with a nut, one of the hookmembers having a fixed connection with the nut and the other a hingedconnection, each hook member having a deflected outer end portionadapted to overlie the upper surface of the planking; and c. actuatingmeans operable to move said force applying means so that said portion isclampingly forced against the upper surface of the planking, saidactuating means comprising a manually operable screw member rotatablycarried by said clamping bar and having threaded engagement with saidnuT.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the hook members are inconfronting opposed relation and adapted to engage the opposite edgemargins of a single plank of the planking.
 3. A device for anchoringscaffold planking to a scaffold supporting structure, comprising: a.means positioned on the underside of the planking for grippinglyengaging a cross-member of the structure, said means comprising aclamping bar engageable with the cross-member and an under surface ofthe planking; b. force applying means connected with said first meanshaving a portion adapted to extend over and engage the upper surface ofthe planking, said force applying means comprising a pair of hookmembers connected with a nut, each of said hook members having an endextension portion formed of plate material, one of said extensionscomprising a pair of spaced apart fingers having coplanar relation andthe other extension comprising a single finger; and c. actuating meansoperable to move said force applying means so that said portion isclampingly forced against the upper surface of the planking, saidactuating means comprising a manually operable screw member rotatablycarried by said clamping bar and having threaded engagement with saidnut.
 4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the configuration of thesingle finger is such as to enable it to fit in the space between thepair of fingers of an adjacently associated device and in coplanarrelation with said pair of fingers thereof.